Page 42

No—Irespectit.

She reaches out, adjusting a diamond on my dress. “We’re the same, you and I,” she says. “Humans playing a fae game. The difference is, I’ve been playing for far, far longer.” She gives Aerix a pointed look, then she returnsher attention to me. “And I’m happy to have you as a sister.”

Sister.

The word sounds strange coming from her mouth. Because there’s only one person I’ve ever considered a sister—Sapphire.

But Aerix is everything to me. Isla is his sister. Not by blood, but by soul. If my relationship with Aerix becomes morepermanent,that would make Isla my sister, too.

A thrill courses through me at the thought that Isla views my connection with Aerix to be as serious as I do, and I find myself completely and utterly speechless.

I’m still trying to find words when a hush falls over the crowd, cutting through the wild partying. The music fades, conversations die, and all eyes turn toward the center of the square, to the giant fountain flowing with blood.

Aerix’s hand presses firmly against my back.

“It’s starting,” he whispers, his lips close to my ear, his breath cool against my skin. “Watch carefully.”

King Thanatos emerges from the shadows on the other side of the square, his wings unfurled to their full, impressive span. Aurora follows at his side, her head held high, but her eyes downcast in submission. And her dress… it makes her look like Cinderella attending the ball. She’s even more perfect and pristine here than she was in the human wing.

The king stops when he reaches the fountains. Then, he extends his hand to Aurora, who tilts her head to expose the long, pale column of her throat. His fingers trace her jawline, and when his fangs sink into her flesh, Aurora’s lips part in a silent gasp, her body arching into him.

Some in the crowd watch with hunger, others with envy, but all with the same reverence one might show a sacred ceremony.

“She loves it,” I whisper, surprised by the obvious pleasure on Aurora’s face.

Because it’s not just the feeding that she seems to be loving. That’s always a pleasurable experience, no matter how much you try to fight it. No… it’s the attention she loves. The respect she’s commanding as the king’s favorite pet.

When the king pulls away, Princess Mirena emerges from the crowd, her wings glittering in the fountain’s bloody light. Dimitri follows, his gaze never leaving her face as she leads him to the spot the king just vacated.

Their feeding is more intimate, more equal. She draws him close and kisses him first, pressing her body against his as her fangs pierce his throat.

Dimitri’s hands grip her waist, his fingers digginginto the fabric of her gown. The look on his face is pure bliss.

This isn’t submission. It’s loyalty. Pure, unashamed devotion.

I scan the crowd, noticing Queen Ravenna watching from her place of honor. But she stands alone—no pet beside her.

“The queen doesn’t have a human with her,” I murmur to Aerix.

“No,” he replies. “The human she always brought with her is gone. Murdered in the human wing. In the living room of my suite, to be exact.”

He smirks, as if the mention of Henry dead at my feet just impressed him all over again.

“The way you’re looking at me makes me wish I’d stained your floors sooner,” I say, and he pulls me closer, as if he wants to memorize the way I look right now, deadly and completely his, before anyone else has the chance.

As if on cue, Queen Ravenna’s gaze shifts, her eyes finding mine across the crowd. There’s something calculating in her stare. Something sharp and assessing that makes my skin crawl.

Does she know about Henry? Does she suspect my role in his death?

Isla steps closer, her fingers brushing my arm.

“She’s watching you,” she says, her voice barelyaudible over the renewed murmurs of the crowd. “She knows something’s different about you.”

The dagger at my hip seems to pulse with power, reminding me what I’ve already done—of what I’m capable of.

“Then let her watch,” I say, surprising myself with my own boldness. “Let her see that I’m not afraid of her… and that I’ll never let hermakeme afraid of her.”

ZOEY